“A Highlands Cascade” — A small creek tumbes down a hillside, Isle of Skye
I live in a place (San Francisco Bay Area of California) that isn’t exactly a desert, but it also is not particularly wet. Virtually all of our rainfall comes during a mostly-winter rainy season that lasts just a few months, and the rest of the years is generally dry. In fact, by this time of the year many of our hills and valleys have dried to a “California golden”color. So Scotland was quite a contrast for us! It rained at least a little on virtually every day we were there, and water — in rivers, streams, lochs, and the ocean — is everywhere.
“Morning Mountains, Skye” — Soft atmosphere and clouds above the Cuillin Mountains, Isle of Skye.
On our final morning on the Isle of Skye back in May, as we drove to leave the island and head north, we came to an overlook of the Cuillin Mountains — or “Cuillin Hills” or “The Cuillins,” as they are sometimes known. These are high (for Scotland) and rugged peaks famed for their climbing opportunities. The range is composed of the higher Black Cuillins, rising to the right side of this image, and the Red Cuillins, which include the large peak at the left.
“Slioch and Loch Maree” — Snow-dusted peak of Slioch towers above Loch Maree.
The impressive, fortress-like mountain is Slioch, one of the Scottish peaks that reaches above 3000′. We passed by after driving south from Ullapool, Scotland, then cutting west toward Torridon and later heading to Applecross, on the coast looking westward toward the Isle of Skye. The route passes all sorts of beautiful country — coastal bays, long valleys, lochs, tall peaks.
“Neist Point Lighthouse” — Neist Point and lighthouse, Isle of Skye
Our time on the Isle of Skye this past May combined visits to iconic locations. (I’m not against photographing icons that are new to me, or when conditions are extra special.) On this day we did a bit of both. Before we ended up here we had taken a long drive out to the tiny hamlet of Elgol. We returned, stopped for a quick dinner and then (the sun sets very late there in May) decided that Neist Point might be a reasonable objective.
